It is well known in the art to microfilm data and thus enable storage of a vast quantity of such data in an extremely small volume. Essentially, there is little difficulty involved where black and white photographic negative film can be used inasmuch as the grain can be made extremely fine for such black and white film and reproduction into a full sized display of the data presents no problems.
In the case of attempting to store information which includes colors, such as color photographs, many problems arise. The primary and most basic difficulty resides in the fact that color film cannot be reduced to a miniature size corresponding to that of black and white film without substantial loss in clarity. Thus, while it is possible to miniaturize black and white photographs or pictures, the same degree of miniaturization cannot be accomplished for color pictures and as a result substantially more space is required to store color picture information such as, by way of example, complete volumes of the National Geographic magazine.
Major optical companies and photographic industrial concerns have literally spent millions of dollars in attempting to find an appropriate means of miniaturizing for storage purposes color pictures.